Terra Nova National Park - Ochre Hill

Friday, July 21, 2023 

Hi Blog!

During yesterday's hike along the Terra Nova Coastal Trail, we noticed a fire tower in the distance. We stopped at the Terra Nova Visitor's Center to find out if it was possible to climb the tower. As it turns out, the fire tower is located on top of Ochre Hill and you can climb almost to the top, to a viewing platform. There are several other viewing platforms and Red Chairs at the summit. Unfortunately, Newfoundland is experiencing record breaking heat, so we made plans to get out early and visit the tower and then hike the Ochre Hill Trail.

Friday dawned cloudy. There had been rain overnight, but by the time we reached the fire tower, we had blue skies.

The tower is very sturdy and easy to climb, even for someone who is afraid of heights. The views were expansive. It's hard to imagine we are sitting on top of what was once a giant volcano before the glaciers ground it down to a lumpy hump.

As we looked out from the various sides of the viewing platform, we noticed the Red Chairs hiding at the edge of a cliff.

After taking in the views from the tower, we made our way over to the Red Chairs. The view was spectacular. Kathy took out her spy glass and was able to find the Red Chairs on the Coastal Trail, which we sat in yesterday.

There was one more viewing platform just above the parking lot. The view was well worth climbing the stairs to get to it.

We drove back down the road to the trailhead parking for the Ochre Hill Trail. The trail is only 5 km long, but is packed with scenic beauty and three different lookouts. There is a short loop around Ochre Hill Pond, which you can do at the start of your hike or on the return. As we parked, a young family was getting ready to hike. We wished them well and took off down the trail.

We decided to hike the loop first, just in case there was a moose in the area, because it had apparently not been hiked yet and any wildlife may not yet have been disturbed. Spoiler:  we found no moose.

 

Pictured below is our first look at Ochre Hill Pond.

This part of Terra Nova was impacted by Hurricane Igor in 2010. Large swaths of trees were just knocked over. Much of the forest has already grown back, but one section clearly showed the damage:

As we came around the far side of the loop, we caught up with the young family, who had decided to take the direct route. As the temperature soared, the cool pond water was very tempting.

Along the trail, we found a number of these purple plants. At first we thought they might be orchids, but we later learned they were purple pitcher plants. The insect-eating pitcher plant was adopted as Newfoundland and Labrador's floral emblem in 1954. It is the most unusual of Canada's official flowers. It was first chosen as a symbol of Newfoundland by Queen Victoria, to be engraved on the newly-minted Newfoundland penny. It was used on the island's coinage until 1938.

This species survives off insects that fall into its captivity. In addition to the plant’s appearance, the pitcher plant lures prey with sweet-smelling nectar that emanates from the rim of the pitcher. Once an insect falls into this pitcher, it is almost impossible to get out. The slippery rim of the pitcher prevent insects from gaining the traction needed to escape. It is also lined with downward-pointing hairs that help trap them. Even flying insects are no match for the pitcher plant. The water within is a pool of sugars and digestive enzymes which dissolve prey almost immediately.  We also spotted the more common species of pitcher plant alongside the trail:

At the far end of the pond, we look up to our first viewpoint. There appeared to be a large cloud hanging over the head. We hoped it would pass before we got there, because we didn't bring rain jackets.  As it turned out, we stayed dry the whole day with only two drops hitting our heads on the overlook.

From the first viewpoint, we can see the fire tower we climbed before our hike. Down below, the young family was making their way across the trail.

In order to make the second viewpoint, we had to go down before we could go up. The woods were very steamy. By the time we climbed out, we were pretty sweaty. Our reward, however, was another fantastic view.

Now, you might think Kathy was trying to do a "Queen of the World" Titanic impression, but she was really just trying to dry off her shirt.

The final viewpoint was not as high as the second, but the view goes on forever. The viewpoint is covered with the red and yellow ochre than give the hill its name. From this height, we could see Bread Cove Pond and Clode Sound.

There is a small bench at the summit which made the perfect picnic spot. After lunch we made our way back down the trail. We had noticed some bakeapple (cloudberry) plants. Unfortunately, they were not quite ripe yet. We are looking forward to berry season.

One last look at the pond before heading to the trailhead. Kathy did stop and scoop some water to splash on her head.

Tomorrow, we head over to Glovertown for the Alexander Bay Days Festival. See ya there!